The Deepening Jungle

The Deepening Jungle

GUAT07D-197

June 3, 2007

Central America, the depths of Guatemala, highlight today's image.  This is down from the beautiful Semuc Champey area, and the water is still that bright aquamarine water flowing downstream.  But the hillsides, the jagged limestone that protrudes from the thick canopy of greenery, are so rugged, offering a glimpse of how vicious and wild this landscape can be.  Enjoy.

Technical notes:

Camera: Nikon D80

Lens: NIkon 18-135 mm f/3.5-5.6

Focal length:  20 mm

Exposure: 1/80 @ f/3.8  ISO 400

Post-processing: Minor tone adjusted with PS 4 and LR 1.4.

Rice Paddy Plantations

Rice Paddy Plantations

BHUT10D-120

November 20, 2010

Taking a break from Thailand today, trying out another country that I love and that is so absolutely gorgeous, Bhutan.  This plantation beckoned as we traveled deeper into the country, heading to the Pobjikha valley.  The lone house on the hillside, surrounded by rice paddies as the storm clouds cleared overhead.  It was such a stately image, and I really loved finding it.  Enjoy.

 

Technical notes:

Camera: NIkon D80

Lens: Nikon 18-135 mm f/3.5-5.6

Focal length: 28 mm

Exposure: 1/80   f/8   ISO 400

Post-processing: Toning and curves adjustment in PS4

Destinations: Mount Roraima

Destinations: Mount Roraima

Guyana, Brazil, Venezuela
5.1433, -60.7625

(Note: this is a new part to this blog... I've been wanting to try and incorporate more of the 'wandering' into A Wandering Lens, talk about places I've been, as well as places I want to go.  This is the first installment of the latter, with images that are not my own since I haven't been there yet.  I hope you enjoy it.)

There are certain places that are simply otherworldly, beyond what you imagine a landscape to be, and Mt. Roraima fits that classification.  It is located in the tepuis, a plateau of blocky landscape in the southeastern portion of Venezuela, and marks the triple point between the countries Guyana, Brazil, and Venezuela.  It is part of the region known as the Gran Sabana, and the tepuis are almost permanently shrouded in mist and clouds, where rainfall is common on a daily basis. And unlike a conventional mountain chain, the tepuis are isolated table mountains that have been thrust up and then resisted the weathering over millions of years, forming these islands jutting into the sky.



This is an area that defies explanation.  First witnessed by Sir Walter Raleigh in the late 16th century, this area wasn't really explored until the 19th century, when explorers made the first hiking ascent of the mountain to the strange top.  The sheer promontory makes climbing exceedingly difficult, and the appearance of the mountain, sticking like a block out of the lush jungle, was reportedly the inspiration for Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's The Lost World.  And, more recently, the team from Pixar used Mt. Roraima for ideas of Carl Fredricksen's destination in the movie Up.
 
While Mr. Roraima is the most famous of the tepuis, and the highest (2,772 m), there are certainly others worthy of visiting.  The highest waterfall in the world, Angel Falls (or Salto Angel) falls from Auyan-tepui (2,460m) a 435 square mile heart shaped table mountain first discovered in 1937 by the pilot Jimmie Angel.


This sort of area is so strange, it is no wonder it has inspired books and movies since its exploration by Europeans.  It looks like something created for a video game almost, I could see it as a landscape from Myst back in the day.  While it is fairly barren on top, with little vegetation, the high sheer cliffs provide a base for beautiful, lacy waterfalls that dangle over the side.  The only way to hike it is a long mountain path that was first climbed by Everard Im Thurn, an English Botanist,with Harry Perkins in 1884.  The eponymous route is now the only way to hike to the summit.  Climbing is even more difficult, as the cliffs of Roraima are inverted and very sheer (not to mention the permits and authorizations that go into climbing in a National Park in South America).

Roraima has a haunting quality that just begs to be experienced first-hand.  It doesn't hurt that it is in the middle of the South American jungle either!  But Mt. Roraima is firmly on my list of destinations to see one day, and I wanted to share it with you all.  Enjoy. 

The Frontier Teton House

The Frontier Teton House

GRTE050113

September, 2005

Grand Teton National Park is littered with the ruins of old cabins and homesteads that were established in the 19th century by Americans moving west.  The park has left them as is, letting nature have her way with them for the most part (though there are a couple that are still inhabited and were grandfathered into the park when it was established).  They are interesting representations of how life used to be out here, and this image I feel encapsulates that rugged, western feel of the area.  I've been thinking about camping a lot recently, and missing those sharp peaks and wilderness.  Enjoy.
 

Technical notes:

Camera: NIkon N80
Film: Fuji Velvia 50

Lens: Nikon 28-105 mm f/3.5-4.5

Focal length: 105t mm

Exposure: 1/200   f/4.5 

Post-processing: Scanned on a Nikon Coolscan 5000, toning and curves adjustment in PS4 (the border edge is a bit much, but I couldn't find the original file in time to remove it, so you get a soft dropped shadow courtesy of late nights with PS4)

Lonely Atitlan Paddler

Lonely Atitlan Paddler

GUAT07D-86

June 28, 2007

In the northern reaches of Guatemala, high in the mountains, lies Lake Atitlan.  This is a common stop for backpackers and visitors to the region, as there are numerous towns dotted along the coast, which then rises high into the jungle to climb ancient volcanoes.  This one morning, before the sun rose above the mountains, rode a single paddler across the water, everything in shades of blue. It was a peaceful morning, and I feel that this image reflects that atmosphere, the lone man setting off on the water in the cool of the morning.  Enjoy.

Technical notes:

Camera: NIkon D80

Lens:Nikon 18-135 f/3.5-5.6

Focal length: 100mm

Exposure: 1/15 f/8 ISO 200

Post-processing: Toning and curves adjustment in PS4

Whiteness of the Rockies

Whiteness of the Rockies

RMNP10D-21

January 3, 2010

Welcome to winter!  The coldest season of the year is upon us, from the Sierra to the Atlantic, and snow is coming.  Now, North Carolina doesn't get as much snow (though some of the shots later this week will show we do get some) as the Rocky Mountains, and these mountains glisten with the powdery white stuff.  Shot on the trail, the snow blanketing one of the many 14,000' peaks of the range, it beckons of adventure and cold fun.  Enjoy.

Technical notes:

Camera: Nikon D80

Lens: Nikon 50 f/1.4

Focal length:  50 mm

Exposure: 1/125 @ f/16, ISO 100

Post-processing: Cropped down with contrast and tone adjustment, sharpening in PS4 & LR1.4

Valley of Daisies

Valley of Daisies

THOR09D-53

July 11, 2009

It is amazing how important foreground is to your images.  You hear about it from the professionals, the photographers that you admire, and all of their images have interest from front to back, little shapes, lines, textures that lead you through the image to the final destination.  And working on an image, it does make a huge difference.  This image, from North Dakota's Theodore Roosevelt National Park, is honestly not my greatest example of foreground inclusion.  The flowers were there, and that was my intent, but upon reflection they were too far dispersed, and I could have placed them better within the frame.  But they do help hook your interest, and only after looking at the image do you consider the tall butte in the background, where some of the daisies seem to be pointing at.  And in that case, it is a success.  Enjoy.

Technical notes:

Camera: Nikon D80

Lens: Nikon 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6

Focal length:  18 mm

Exposure: 1/80 @ f/16, ISO 100

Post-processing: Slight contrast and tone adjustment, sharpening in PS4 & LR1.4

Byers Lake

Byers Lake

ALAK11D-21_pan

July 19, 2011

Near the dominating panorama of Denali, the taiga runs out through the hills, blanketing the landscape in a verdant dark green, lush from the rains and snows, but still foreboding, impenetrable, ancient.  At the shore of Byer's lake, you have the chance to take out a kayak and explore some of this landscape yourself, paddle out into the cold glacial water and bask in the rare warmth of the summer.  Photographically, I wish I had make a couple more images that could have followed through on the rest of the boats; this panorama is a little incomplete feeling, but I still like the diagonal line of the kayaks against the water and the horizon.  Enjoy.

Technical notes:

Camera: Nikon D80

Lens: Nikon 18-135 f/3.5-5.6

Focal length:  135 mm

Exposure: 1/500 @ f/6 ISO 400

Post-processing: Minor tone adjusted with PS 4 and LR 1.4.

Illiamna in the Sunset

Illiamna in the Sunset

ALAK09D-196

August 31, 2009

The Seldovia area has numerous volcanic islands in the bay, and when the light is just right, you're able to capture them as the sun sets in the west.  This scene was shot through the bay as the clouds parted briefly to allow the horizontal band through to highlight Illiamna from behind.  With the silhouettes of the coniferous trees of the bay anchoring the left side, I like this composition and how it shows off the volcano as a mysterious, forbidding entity.  Enjoy.

Technical notes:

Camera: Nikon D80

Lens: Nikon 18-135 f/3.5-5.6

Focal length:  135 mm

Exposure: 1/500 @ f/6 ISO 400

Post-processing: Minor tone adjusted with PS 4 and LR 1.4.

Red Mountain Cirque

Red Mountain Cirque

ALAK08D-291

July 29, 2008

Red Mountain lies above Seldovia, following a long and winding road until it reaches this idyllic landscape.  The cirque in the background reminds the glacial origins of this area, how Alaska is still often covered in ice and snow.  But the stream that flows from the mountain is cold, crisp, refreshing.  It is a fabulous place to explore for the day.  The shadows were a bit harsh, due to the high summer lighting, so the left side of the image is a bit off, but the sharpness and colors really pop.  Enjoy.

Technical notes:

Camera: Nikon D80

Lens: Sigma 10-20 f/3.5-5.6

Focal length:  10 mm

Exposure: 1/20 @ f/22 ISO 100

Post-processing: Minor tone adjusted with PS 4 and LR 1.4.

Splashes of Color from the Chimney

Splashes of Color from the Chimney

GRSM11D-34

October 8, 2011

Wrapping up this week of shots from the mountains, this last photo explodes with color.  Taken from the top of Chimney Tops trail in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, you can see the various shades as autumn sets in.  Reds, golden, with the evergreens still holding their own, it has a nice rugged feeling about it, though it is separated from much perspective due to the longer focal length.  (and it seems, in retrospect, that the uploader somehow crunched the photo more than I had anticipated, it seems blurrier than it did in LR).  Enjoy.

Technical notes:

Camera: Nikon D80

Lens: Nikon 50 f/1.4

Focal length:  50 mm

Exposure: 1/80 @ f/16 ISO 400

Post-processing: Minor tone adjusted with PS 4 and LR 1.4.

The Watchman from Afar

The Watchman from Afar

ZION030009

August 15, 2003

Whereas yesterday's image was among the most recent in my collection, having been taken over the previous weekend, this one is reaching back far into the archives.  Camping in the southern reaches of Zion National Park in 2003, the summer sunsets were amazing at highlighting the redrock formations of the south.  This was taken on slide film, then scanned, so the grain is apparent despite the use of ICE converters.  I think it has a nice appeal to the photo though, the grain adds an additional dimension.  Enjoy.

Technical notes:

Camera: Nikon N80
Film: Kodak Ektachrome 200

Lens: Nikon 28-105 f/3.5-5.6

Focal length:  105 mm

Exposure: n/a  ISO 200

Post-processing: Scanned on a Nikon Coolscan 5000 with Digital ICE 4.0, tone adjusted and using and PS 4 and LR1.4

Ruminahui Through the Clouds

Ruminahui Through the Clouds

ECUA08D-513

January 27, 2008

While most people travel to Cotopaxi National Park, in Ecuador, to visit the refuge or climb up the eponymous mountain, there are plenty of other reasons to visit this high altitude park. The páramo, or alpine valleys above the tree line, offer a wide diversity of plant life, and from far away it looks like the whole place is covered in a soft velvet. Ruminahui, a dormant volcano found at the edge of the park, is not as visited as the park's namesake, but it is a beautiful climb to the peak, with views over the paramo and the alpine fields. It rises about 4700m above sea level, and is about a 5-6 hour hike from the edge of Laguna de Limpiopuguna.

The mountain's name comes from the early colonial days. Ruminahui was a Quichua native, who lead numerous uprisings against the foreign invaders of his country. He was immensely popular with the people, but not so with the Spanish conquistadors (as can be imagined). Eventually he was captured, as all good folk heroes are, and executed. But this mountain was named in his honor, to remember his struggle for his people against the colonists.  Enjoy.

Technical notes:

Camera: Nikon D80

Lens: Nikon 18-135 f/3.5-5.6

Focal length:  85 mm

Exposure: 1/50 @ f/16, ISO 200

Post-processing: Minor contrast and tone adjustment, sharpening in PS4 & LR1.4

Storm Over the Black Hills

Storm Over the Black Hills

SDAK09D-126

July 8, 2009

Storms hold a particular attraction to most people.  They're one part of Mother Nature that is beyond our control, we are helpless in their grasp.  And, as inconvenient as they make modern life (getting wet while going to work, electric lightning strikes knock out power, general impedance of your day), they are so essential to maintaining life across this planet.  So perhaps we look up to them as well, in a combination of fear and respect. 

Few places I've encountered storms like one sees in the midwest of the United States.  From the Black Hills of South Dakota to the flat plains of Illinois, the summer storms rage across the land, large cumulus clouds that grow and evolve and finally burst over you in a satanic fury, black clouds dumping rain and energy on the ground below.  This storm, seen here in the Black Hills, was just entering the area.  The pleasant, puffy white clouds that had dominated the day were being pushed away by a southerly wind, drawing in the darkness seen on the left.  Within 15 minutes the sky had undergone a Mr. Hyde transformation, and the storm broke soon after.  Luckily, with the rage and energy of midwest storms, they pass quickly; this storm was over and cleared out before nightfall.

Technical notes:

Camera: Nikon D80

Lens: Sigma 10-20 f/4-5.6

Focal length:  mm

Exposure: 1/60 sec @ f/16, ISO 100

Post-processing: Splicing and panoramic construction, curves adjustment in PS4

Summer over the Alaska Range

Summer over the Alaska Range 

ALAK11D-43_pan

July 19, 2011

This panoramic was taken along the George Parks highway, en route from Anchorage to Fairbanks.  As we drove along, the peak of Denali finally came into view, as some last clouds streaked past the top.  Her summit had been hidden the entire time, keeping us guessing whether we'd even get a chance to witness the tallest mountain in North America.  But all of the pieces came together in the end, and we were rewarded with this quintessential view of the Alaska Range in the summertime, with blue skies and streaky, puffy clouds, with those glacier-capped mountains in the background.

Technical notes:

Camera: Nikon D80

Lens: Nikon 18-125 f/3.5-5.6

Focal length: 105mm

Exposure: 1/320 sec. @ f/16, ISO 400

Post-processing: Stitch of 2 images in PS4, light WB correction and color adjustment, final sharpening in LR1.4